Systems and methods for creating digital animations

Abstract

Described herein is a computer implemented method including: displaying a design including a first design element; detecting an initiate record animation event; receiving animation definition input creating an original path between an initial position and a final position, the animation definition input drawing the original path at original traversal speeds; generating animation data based on the animation definition input, the animation data including data that allows both the original path and the original traversal speeds to be reproduced; and associating the animation data with the first design element.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer implemented method comprising:
 displaying, on a display, a design including a first design element; 
 receiving, via the one or more user input devices, a first input that creates an original path between an initial position and a final position, wherein the first input draws the original path at original traversal speeds; 
 generating, via at least one processing unit, original animation data based on the first input, the original animation data including data that allows both the original path and the original traversal speeds to be reproduced; 
 processing, via at least one processing unit, the original animation data to generate reduced animation data, wherein the reduced animation data requires less memory to store than the original animation data and includes data that substantially allows the original path and the original traversal speeds to be reproduced; and 
 associating, via at least one processing unit, the reduced animation data with the first design element. 
 
     
     
       2. The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting a first event; and 
 in response to detecting the first event, using the reduced animation data to automatically display the first design element moving along a path that is based on the original path at replay speeds that are based on the original traversal speeds. 
 
     
     
       3. The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting a second event; and 
 in response to detecting the second event, exporting the design to a video format by using the reduced animation data to render the first design element moving along a path that is based on the original path at replay speeds that are based on the original traversal speeds. 
 
     
     
       4. The computer implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the replay speeds are the original traversal speeds. 
     
     
       5. The computer implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the replay speeds are proportional to the original traversal speeds. 
     
     
       6. The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first input includes user input that draws the original path using the first design element. 
     
     
       7. The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the original animation data includes recording a set of animation data points, each animation data point being associated with a spatial position and a time. 
     
     
       8. The computer implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein generating the original animation data includes sampling the first input at a plurality of sample times over the course of the first input and generating an animation data point corresponding to each sample point. 
     
     
       9. The computer implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein processing the original animation data to generate the reduced animation data includes:
 calculating a spatial distance between a pair of temporally adjacent animation data points in the animation data, the pair of temporally adjacent animation data points including a first data point associated with an earlier time and a second data point associated with a later time; 
 determining whether the spatial distance is less than a distance threshold; and 
 in response to determining that the spatial distance is less than the distance threshold, generating the reduced animation data by deleting the second data point from the animation data. 
 
     
     
       10. The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 processing the original animation data to generate the reduced animation data includes processing the original animation data to generate a vector graphic corresponding to the original path; and 
 associating the reduced animation data with the first design element includes associating the vector graphic with the with the first design element. 
 
     
     
       11. The computer implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein:
 processing the original animation data to generate the reduced animation data includes processing the original animation data to generate timing data, wherein the timing data is usable with the vector graphic to substantially allow the original path and the original traversal speeds to be reproduced; and 
 associating the reduced animation data with the first design element includes associating the timing data with the with the first design element. 
 
     
     
       12. A computer processing system comprising:
 a processing unit; 
 a display; 
 one or more user input devices; and 
 a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to perform a method comprising:
 displaying, on the display, a design including a first design element; 
 receiving, via the one or more user input devices, first input that creates an original path between an initial position and a final position, wherein the first input draws the original path at original traversal speeds; 
 generating original animation data based on the first input, the original animation data including data that allows both the original path and the original traversal speeds to be reproduced; 
 processing the original animation data to generate reduced animation data, wherein the reduced animation data requires less memory to store than the original animation data and includes data that substantially allows the original path and the original traversal speeds to be reproduced; and 
 associating the reduced animation data with the first design element. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The computer processing system of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises:
 detecting a first event; and 
 in response to detecting the first event, using the reduced animation data to automatically display the first design element moving along a path that is based on the original path at replay speeds that are based on the original traversal speeds. 
 
     
     
       14. The computer processing system of  claim 12 , wherein the first input includes user input that draws the original path using the first design element. 
     
     
       15. The computer processing system of  claim 12 , wherein generating the original animation data includes recording a set of animation data points, each animation data point being associated with a spatial position and a time. 
     
     
       16. The computer processing system of  claim 15 , wherein generating the original animation data includes sampling the first input at a plurality of sample times over the course of the first input and generating an animation data point corresponding to each sample point. 
     
     
       17. The computer processing system of  claim 15 , wherein processing the original animation data to generate the reduced animation data includes:
 calculating a spatial distance between a pair of temporally adjacent animation data points in the animation data, the pair of temporally adjacent animation data points including a first data point associated with an earlier time and a second data point associated with a later time; 
 determining whether the spatial distance is less than a distance threshold; and 
 in response to determining that the spatial distance is less than the distance threshold, generating the reduced animation data by deleting the second data point from the animation data. 
 
     
     
       18. The computer processing system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 processing the original animation data to generate the reduced animation data includes processing the original animation data to generate a vector graphic corresponding to the original path; and 
 associating the reduced animation data with the first design element includes associating the vector graphic with the with the first design element. 
 
     
     
       19. The computer processing system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 processing the original animation data to generate the reduced animation data includes processing the original animation data to generate timing data, the timing data usable with the vector graphic to substantially allow the original path and the original traversal speeds to be reproduced; and 
 associating the reduced animation data with the first design element includes associating the timing data with the with the first design element. 
 
     
     
       20. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable by processing unit to cause the processing unit to perform a method comprising:
 displaying a design including a first design element; 
 receiving first input that creates an original path between an initial position and a final position, wherein the first input draws the original path at original traversal speeds; 
 generating original animation data based on the first input, the original animation data including data that allows both the original path and the original traversal speeds to be reproduced; 
 processing the original animation data to generate reduced animation data, the reduced animation data including data that substantially allows the original path and the original traversal speeds to be reproduced; and 
 associating the reduced animation data with the first design element.